Is this the process that converts “junk” plant material into ethenol? (That is, it doesn’t take useful food mass out of the normal supply path, and relies on previously useless plant materials?)
Yes, it can be used to turn what is usually considered junk plant material from farm crops into ethanol. It could be used to make ethanol from the corn stalks, not just the sugars from the kernels.
It could also work on other crops such as sawgrass.
It might mean that what were waste products are used.
It may just make using corn for ethanol more efficient, or replace corn with a different crop that makes more efficient use of the land and water resources.